Tourists forging test results face 6-month jail term

MANILA, Philippines — Local tourists who tamper documents, including swab test results, may be imprisoned for up to six months, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat warned yesterday.

Puyat issued the warning after a resident of Quezon City, who tested positive for COVID-19, was able to enter Coron in Palawan on March 9, using a fake swab test result.

“The Department of Tourism (DOT) is saddened by yet another case of falsification of travel documents,” she said in a statement.

She added that the Quezon City Surveillance Team informed the local government of Coron the following day that the 24-year-old male tourist was confirmed positive for COVID.

According to her, the Coron Emergency Operations Center reported last Saturday that “all first generation contacts” of the tourist were tested using the RT-PCR test and were found to be negative of the virus – the same result that showed after all secondary contacts were also tested.

The DOT in Region 4B or the Mimaropa region has recommended the imposition of the appropriate penalty on the errant tourist.

As mandated under Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, the tampering of documents and records issued by public health authorities is a crime punishable by penalties amounting from P20,000 to P50,000 or an imprisonment of one to six months or both.

Puyat urged tourists to avail of the 50 percent subsidized RT-PCR test at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for only P900.

“The DOT reiterates the full cooperation of the general public to uphold minimum public health and safety standards. Tourists and host communities alike are enjoined to practice mindful and responsible tourism to help strengthen recovery efforts,” she said.

Last week, the Department of the Interior and Local Government directed localities and the police to intensify the crackdown against quarantine violators. It also asked local leaders to step up their enforcement of the minimum health standards. - Elijah Rosales